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Fitness

Extreme Calisthenics: From the Playground to the Silver Screen

All you need to be in shape is your body, a bar, and gravity.

Written by Pete Hitzeman Last updated on November 19, 2017

A decade ago on YouTube, one of the very first viral videos was of an impossibly muscled man who called himself “Hannibal for King.” In that video, he does equally impossible things on pull up bars and playground equipment in a park in Harlem. Five hundred miles away in North Carolina, a young, aspiring filmmaker watched in awe at the power, fluidity, and control on display.

A decade ago on YouTube, one of the very first viral videos was of an impossibly muscled man who called himself “Hannibal for King.” In that video, he does equally impossible things on pull up bars and playground equipment in a park in Harlem. Five hundred miles away in North Carolina, a young, aspiring filmmaker watched in awe at the power, fluidity, and control on display.

Rain Bennett knew this was a story that the world should hear, so armed with just a backpack and a camera, he began traveling the globe. His feature-length documentary Raise Up uncovered a sport in its infancy, just as it began to coalesce into an international sensation. He sat down with me for today’s show to tell the story of how he discovered a movement that was about more than fitness; it was the engine of positive social change in every city and town where it sprang up.

We talk about how boredom with traditional gym routines has led to the resurgence of calisthenics, and the challenges faced by the community as it struggles to get off the ground as a commercial enterprise. We also cover what the discipline of calisthenics can bring to anyone seeking physical improvement, as well as the perils and pitfalls of the democratization of fitness, which has an increasing number of people learning new sports through social media.

About Pete Hitzeman

Pete Hitzeman is an unlikely athlete. Raised in a household of engineers and musicians, he was introduced to athletic training only after joining his high school wrestling team on a whim. The ten years after graduation were filled with more cigarettes, pints, and cheeseburgers than he cares to remember, until he rediscovered mountain biking as an adult.

In the years since, he has steadily developed into a pan-athlete, flinging himself headlong into cycling, running, and CrossFit. Despite being physiologically ill-suited for any of those endeavors, he has competed in a variety of endurance events, including the marathon, 6-hour road bike time trials, and a 100-mile mountain bike race.

His pursuit of his own physical potential is far from over, but his greater desire is to inspire others to find theirs. He has become a race director, fitness media consultant, and a coach and mentor to the athletes around him. He believes that good coffee is the root of all genius, that there’s a bicycle out there for everyone, and that we are all born athletes.

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